Kimi Raikkonen has cut a frustrating figure in Formula 1 in recent years. A driver capable of great things but delivering them sparingly, one inspiring great fan devotion yet rarely rewarding it with his results. In the 99 starts of his second Ferrari stint, he resembled a top liner only in brief flashes and rarely strung together the consistently strong race weekends required of a true top gun.

He clogged up a top seat for five years, occupying a car that could have been put to better use by others, and made the battle at the front more one-dimensional. He looked like a man of the past and, save for that glorious day at Austin last year where he nailed it with victory, he largely was - despite last year being the best season of his Ferrari comeback.

But by moving to Sauber, he becomes something else. Some argue that the 39-year old should have retired rather than returning to Sauber simply to pick up some midfield results and blocking an up-and-comer from taking his place. But as a Sauber driver, he is immediately a more positive influence in F1 and therefore far easier to appreciate having around.

Edd Straw is a former Editor and Editor-in-Chief of Autosport, who has now returned to covering the Formula 1 circus full-time.

Originally from Guernsey in the Channel Islands, he joined Autosport in 2002 having graduated from Warwick University. He went on to cover a wide range of categories from club motorsport to the World Touring Car Championship and sportscars to Formula 3, before switching to F1 full-time at the 2008 French Grand Prix. He then became Autosport Magazine Editor in November 2014.

After subsequent spells as Autosport Editor-in-Chief and then as Motorsport Network's Digital Content Manager, he returned to his favourite role of Grand Prix Editor in 2018.

He is also the host of The Autosport Podcast, a judge for the Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award, and was formerly a club racer whose abilities did not match his enthusiasm in a variety of categories ranging from Stock Hatch to the European Ferrari Challenge.

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